1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to collars for carrying identification badges or control cards such as are exhibited within security premises by employees and visitors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to protect proprietary information, it has become accepted practice in both business and government to require identification and/or access control cards to be exhibited on the premises at all times by employees and visitors. When an employee is found without his badge in an area where he is not known, time-consuming difficulties with security personnel can be expected.
To comply with this requirement, identification cards must be worn in such a manner that they remain readily visible to security personnel at all times.
For this purpose, most identification cards or company badges are equipped with a clasp which allows the badge to become fastened to the wearer's clothing. However, different individuals attach the badges to different garment parts: pockets, collars, belts, etc. Some such places do not allow for ready card visibility.
A different kind of problem is due to the fact that many people are reluctant to clip their badges onto their clothing because doing so may cause damage to the fine fabrics of their garments.
Another frequent problem is that a security badge is often attached to an outer garment such as a coat, jacket or sweater, and the badge is inadvertently left attached on the garment when it is removed from the body.
To avoid some of the above-indicated drawbacks, a security badge is sometimes worn on a bead-chain which extends through a hole in a claspless badge. However, a beaded chain is undesirable because it allows the badge to easily swing with body movements, a condition which is distracting and sometimes even unsafe to the badge wearer. Also, beaded chains do not allow a badge to be continuously visible, because the badge is free to flip over on the beaded chain and hide its security information.
Therefore, it is a main object of the present invention to provide a new and improved security collar which is attractive in appearance, comfortable to wear around the neck or wrist, inexpensive to manufacture, and which avoids the above mentioned and other well-known drawbacks of the prior art collars for security badges and the like.